One of the top priorities for the Boston Celtics this summer will be to add more frontcourt depth. Trade deadline acquisition, Nikola Vucevic’s, looming exit will leave the Cs with just three options at center; Neemias Queta, Luka Garza, and Amari Williams.
It’d be shocking to see the team enter the 2026-27 season with just those three manning the middle -- especially with the full mid-level exception, worth roughly $15 million, at their disposal.
One of the first names that comes to mind when thinking about possible center signings is New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson. Or should I write, was Mitchell Robinson.
As the Knicks await their NBA Finals opponent (gross), it sure sounds like they’ll be looking to retain the big man, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.
“For both Robinson and guard Landry Shamet -- the two top unrestricted free agents from this year's roster -- the belief is that coming off New York's dominant run to the NBA Finals, both will be back,” Bontemps wrote on Thursday. “And both will likely be on two-year deals as the Knicks are likely going to go well into the second apron next season and the following anyway, before needing to duck back out.”
Based on how things are going in The Big Apple, it’s not surprising that; 1. Robinson remains a part of the team’s plans going forward, and 2. That he wants to stick around for another contract.
New York also has Robinson’s Bird rights, meaning that they can spend beyond their cap space to retain him -- which they plan to do.
“In Robinson's case, that's likely a two-year deal above the midlevel exception -- again, the main mechanism that other teams will likely have to try to pry him out of New York -- to keep him as part of the team's center rotation alongside Karl-Anthony Towns.”
Celtics are all but eliminated from the Mitchell Robinson race if this is true
If the Knicks are willing to pay the 28-year-old more than the MLE, then, as Bontemps pointed out, it effectively eliminates any method Boston would have of prying him away.
Only time will confirm this reporting, but it’s a shame that the Celtics will miss out an opportunity to improve while making one of their top rivals worse. Robinson has been a huge headache to the Cs for years.
His strength, size, and nose for the offensive glass make him a near unstoppable force, and helped him flip games on their head in the 2025 playoffs.
Considering how well Boston capitalized on second-chance opportunities, ranking fifth in the league, adding the 4.2 offensive rebounds per game by Robinson could’ve super charged that strength for them.
Mitch’s health had been an issue in previous years. He played a combined 48 games across the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, but suited up 60 times this campaign. It seems those health questions have been answered, but if they flare up again, the Knicks could actually wind up having overpaid him.
Still, it’d be worthwhile for the Celtics to still do their due diligence by checking in on Robinson before moving onto any other free agent targets.
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